RIP Octopus Fun Dip, unless/until we meet again. This is also the place that introduced me to candy cap mushrooms, in cookie form, and we will be friends for a long time. Although the sweet + savory premise may have come across as a bit gimmicky, if one was aware of it (we didn't know the details until after our meal), each item we sampled was well-conceived and expertly-executed. It is a sad ending, not uncommon in the restaurant industry but still stinging in this age of transparency and social media. I wish the best to all the involved parties.

Former Henri and the Gage executive chef Dirk Flanigan is helping transform Baume & Brix, the recently shuttered River North spot.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... e-the-grid